“Building Sustainable Social Movements in the Twenty-first Century” – CCSU Africana Studies Annual Conference

Press Pool

This from the Center for Africana Studies:  “Building Sustainable Social Movements in the Twenty-first Century.”

The Arab Spring. Black Lives Matter. Occupy Wall Street. Code Pink. The Women’s March.

These social actions represent a growing sense of disenchantment among citizens of the world. Diverse groups are working to change the structure of violence that impedes their lives. Inequality and disrespect for human rights are driving people to organize and address the injustices and disparities they experience in their lives. Increasingly, these groups are marching in the streets.

Numerous questions have emerged from these movements:
What structural issues galvanize people to take to the streets?
Which strategies are required to sustain these movements until effective change occurs?
Can a global transnational movement exist among these diverse social movements?
If so, which strategies are needed to unite these groups in a common cause?
What can contemporary movements learn from past Civil Rights Movements?
How can the present world of social media contribute to sustaining a movement?

March 2, 2017 marks the twenty-third anniversary of the Africana Studies Annual Conference at Central Connecticut State University from 3 pm to 8 pm in Memorial Hall. The theme for this year’s conference is “Building Sustainable Social Movements in the Twenty-first Century.”

The mission of the Annual Conference is to inform and inspire students, faculty, staff and community members about issues that affect African peoples throughout the world. The Africana Studies Annual Conference supplements the university curriculum and works to inform and include our collective community in addressing the complex and dynamic questions that are often downplayed or ignored in classrooms, news media, and other outlets.

The 2017 Conference features an array of powerful speakers, scholars, and researchers, including Dr. Stanley Battle, Chair of the Social Work Program at the University of St. Joseph and Dr. John Bracey, Professor of African American History, University of Massachusetts, who will address the “History of Civil Rights Social Movements.” Dr. Don Sawyer, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology of Quinnipiac University will explore the use of hip hop culture as applied knowledge to ensure graduation rates among African and Latino male students, and a panel of graduate students from the CCSU Department of Counselor Education and Family Therapy will present their research on breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. Each presentation outlines a means of contributing to understanding and building sustainable social movements in the African Diaspora. The audience will have a chance to participate through the two panel discussions during the conference.

This Conference is a service that the Center for Africana Studies offers to both the university community and the public, with the support of diverse departments and organizations. As always, the Africana Studies Annual Conference is free to all attendees. Community organizations, high school clubs and classes, and classes from CCSU and other universities are encouraged to attend. Buffet dinner and on-campus parking are included at no cost. For more information, call 860-832-2813; 860-832-2816 or email [email protected] or [email protected].